Kukla's Korner Hockey

NEW YORK (Nov. 29, 2011) – Pittsburgh Penguins forward James Neal has been fined $2,500, the maximum allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for high-sticking Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban in NHL Game No. 331 Saturday night in Montreal, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 7:10 of the third period. A minor penalty for high-sticking was assessed on the play.

added 11:38pm, Added a animated gif below of the play, the gif has been making the rounds and thanks to the original source…

Comments

That is complete BS, did the NHL ignore the fact that Subban slewfooted Neal which caused him to fall and lose control of his stick?

Posted by
Mike
on 11/29/11 at 12:56 PM ET

Oh my this is an outrage. Subban is always kicking and embellishing makes me sick. So lets see I am tripped have a stick in my hand on ice skates and I need to control where my stick lands….makes perfect sense to me…

Posted by
Dorie
from Pittsburgh on 11/29/11 at 01:08 PM ET

how can someone be fined for being tripped and hitting someone with their stick .. on accident? This is weird for sure.

What in the F is this about?? Was Subban fined for his slew-foot? I guess Montreal complained about Chara not getting suspended so the NHL said here we’ll fine Neal.

In all seriousness I can’t believe how dirty a player Subban is. He grabbed Dupuis after the whistle and jsut slammed him into the boards. He slew-footed Neal, pus there was a couple other incidents. Time to Ogie Oglethorpe his *ss.

After seeing the video, i can not believe that anyone is questioning this.
He clearly had control of his stick, and he used that control to take an overhand swing toward Suban’s head. So what if he was slewfooted, you cant retaliate by chopping the guy like that. He’s lucky to only get a fine.

Posted by
jwad
on 11/29/11 at 01:45 PM ET

Yeah, I hadn’t seen this play, but there’s no way it looks like an accident to me.

That said, a fine for Subban’s slew foot would also be a good idea. I’d make it a lesser fine (because slew-footing somebody is a shitty thing to do, but it’s a hell of a lot less dangerous than flinging your stick at his head).

Sure a $1,500 fine is nothing, so is a $2,500 fine, but it’s the principle of the matter.

I dont think Suban should be fined. He certainly deserved a penalty, but i dont think the league should, or has any desire to start fining players any time a penalty is missed on the ice. Slew foot is a dirty play, but it pretty much happens in every game, especially situations like that along the boards. The supplementary discipline should be reserved for the really blatant, flagrant, intent to injure type stuff, like stick swinging and headshots.

Subban makes Matt Cooke look like the cleanest player in the league. There’s no way Neal could have controlled his stick after Subban slewfooted him. Anyone who’s actually played hockey would know that.

Posted by
Andrew
from Virginia on 11/29/11 at 02:31 PM ET

Yep J.J. When someone slew foots you, You are in complete control of yourself When falling like a ton of bricks Good Lord what color is the shy in your world?

When Neal starts to fall, his stick is low and along the boards. He swung his upper body around so his stick was towards the center of the ice, and above his head, then swung his stick across his body, in a downward chopping motion, across Suban’s shoulder.

If he was only falling, without attempting to swing his stick at Suban, there is no way his stick could have even been in position to high stick anyone.

Having a penalty committed against you does not give you the right to retaliate by swinging your stick at the other players head. The reputation of the player being retaliated against is not a justification for a violent and dangerous play Suban committing/not being called for a penalty can not justify Neal’s retaliation.

Posted by
jwad
on 11/29/11 at 03:01 PM ET

Funny, Pens fans always accuse Wings fans of whining about everything, and then they go and whine trying to defend their guy for swinging his stick at a guys head. Too funny.

Posted by
John W.
from a bubble wrap cocoon on 11/29/11 at 03:12 PM ET

If I was a Pens fan, i would be hoping that this was intentional, rather then trying to defend it as accidental. I couldnt accept a professional athlete who was that clumsy and not in control of his body playing for any team that i cheered for.

If you really think Neal was out of control, you should be lobbying Shero to cut this guy immediately. Next time he falls he could decapitate Sidney Crosby.

Posted by
jwad
on 11/29/11 at 03:28 PM ET

I’m a Pens fan, and I have no idea how you can argue against the fine. He made a concerted effort to swing his stick around like that, and it deserves a fine. Even if he did “accidentally” do that, he was so careless with his stick that he deserves the fine anyway.

In addition, I’m getting really sick of PK Subban’s skate-related antics. The slew-footing, the exaggerated kicking, etc….somebody is going to get seriously hurt. I wish he got fined as well. $2,500 isn’t going to change anything, unfortunately, but it would help to get a reputation out there.

There’s no way Neal could have controlled his stick after Subban slewfooted him. Anyone who’s actually played hockey would know that. Posted by Andrew from Virginia on 11/29/11 at 12:31 PM ET Yep J.J. When someone slew foots you, You are in complete control of yourself When falling like a ton of bricks Posted by Evilpens on 11/29/11 at 12:31 PM ET

From this slewfoot you would expect Neal to fall backward & try to stop himself falling hard on the ice, instead you can see from his body movements he realizes when Subban’s foot slides behind his & he’s ready to ‘give it right back to him.’

You would expect Neal’s body to twist the other way, the way that Subban’s slewfoot actually turns him - to his right, but he doesn’t, he goes to his left because he knew what he was doing.

Subban did two things: the slewfoot and he had his stick blade behind Neal’s other knee. Posted by SYF from a north-bound Wings dressing room on 11/29/11 at 01:42 PM ET

Oh you’re right and that does help explain the direction Neal’s body goes.

Funny thing is the more I look at it, the more it looks like Neal dove specifically so he could make this look accidental.Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 11/29/11 at 01:49 PM ET

I think if you say he dove then you say Subban didn’t slewfoot/can open him. The slewfoot and the stick pushing on the back of Neal’s right leg happen, and I think Neal knew the whole time something was coming and reacted with his violent stick fling.

I don’t like the argument that if a player takes a fall or goes down easier than he should, that it means there wasn’t a reason for him to be falling and therefore, we’re only dealing with one in fraction on the play.

Subban definitely did something penalty worthy and I do not want to leave the impression that I’m denying this.

However, I think we’re on the same page that Neal knew something was up.

So yeah, I think Neal embellished what Subban did so he could make his stick swing look accidental.

I think if you say he dove then you say Subban didn’t slewfoot/can open him. The slewfoot and the stick pushing on the back of Neal’s right leg happen, and I think Neal knew the whole time something was coming and reacted with his violent stick fling.

Posted by NathanBC on 11/29/11 at 01:55 PM ET

Diving/Embellishment does not mean that a penalty was not committed.

I don’t think anyone is trying to defend Suban here. Just pointing out that getting away with a penalty in a game does not:
1: give the other player the right to retaliate, or
2: get you a morning conference call with Mr. Shanahan for supplementary discipline.

Posted by
jwad
on 11/29/11 at 04:02 PM ET

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 11/29/11 at 02:01 PM ETPosted by jwad on 11/29/11 at 02:02 PM ET

What’s even funnier John is the two biggest crybaby fanbases, Pens and Habs had this happen in a game against each other.

Subban is a punk, there’s no doubt about it, but there’s no way in hell a stick can go from on the ice after a trip to flying in a deliberate arc in retalitation. Just a shame Subban didn’t get a fine as well.

Posted by
Realmk
from Boston on 11/29/11 at 05:24 PM ET

Talk about embellishments! Subban is the worst when it comes to this type of thing. That was at least his 3rd slew foot of the game, not to mention his punch to the back of Neal’s head and the tackle in front of the net later in the game. Only Neal knows for sure if his high stick was on purpose or not. He did it, fine levied, enough said. Now someone needs to lay out Subban for his antics before someone gets seriously hurt. He is too good(or can be) of a player to keep pulling this nonsense.

Posted by
Chuck Vucetich
from Red Lion, PA on 11/29/11 at 05:33 PM ET

there’s no way in hell a stick can go from on the ice after a trip to flying in a deliberate arc in retalitation.

Red Wang fans who whine about Sid if he farts out of key & think that (BUTTMAN) & the NHL Love the Pens & Screw the rest of the League Especially Red Wings are saying Pens Fans are Whiners??? hahahaha

I am in no way making excuses for Neal, But if he doesn’t do the shit he was doing Neal doesn’t fall & on Purpose By accident whack him in the face with the stick, Go look what Slewban did to Staal a couple playoffs ago & it costs Staal the rest of the series & damn near half of the next season.

He will seriously injure someone & then everybody will be up in arms about it, especially the fans of the team who the player got seriously injured plays for